Darkness Rises in “The Acolyte” Trailer, Revealing a New Kind of “Star Wars” Series

By The Credits  |  March 19, 2024

The first trailer for The Acolyte has arrived, revealing creator Lesyle Headland’s twisty upcoming live-action Star Wars for Disney+. The very first frame introduces one of those cuddly Star Wars creatures the franchise is famous for, yet this little guy (or girl) is a Padawan, a trainee in the arts and practices of the Jedi order. “Close your eyes; your eyes can deceive you,” says a Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) to his young students, “we must not trust them.” Trust will be a major factor in the new series, which focuses on the end of the High Republic era when darkness rises in the galaxy after a brutal crime spree.

Thrilling sequences are revealed here, including some Trinity-like hand-to-hand combat from Carrie-Anne Moss, trading her Matrix black leather for the dark robe of a Jedi Master. Moss’s character is fighting against a young warrior (Amandla Stenberg), once a student of the Jedi Master played by Lee Jung-jae, who is now on a dangerous path and possessing formidable power. That aforementioned shocking crime spree—the killing of Jedis—has brought these three together during a dark, turbulent time. The trailer ends with a ferocious lightsaber battle, with Stenberg’s warrior marshaling a power well beyond her years.

Joining Lee Jung-jae, Stenberg, and Moss are Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.

Headland not only created the series, but directed the first two episodes. A stellar crop of helmers joins her—Kogonada (episodes 3 and 7), Alex Garcia Lopez (episodes 4 and 5), and Hanelle Culpepper (episodes 6 and 8). Composer Michael Abels, the man behind the music of Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Us, scored the series.

Check out the trailer below. The Acolyte arrives on Disney+ on June 4:

For more on all things Star Wars, check out these stories:

Disney+’s New “Star Wars” Series “The Acolyte” Unveils Premiere Date

New “Star Wars” Movie “The Mandalorian & Grogu” Announced From Director Jon Favreau

“Star Wars”: How Rey’s Upcoming Movie is Linked to the Past & Future of the Franchise

Featured image: Mae (Amandla Stenberg) in Lucasfilm’s THE ACOLYTE, exclusively on Disney+. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

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The Credits is the Motion Picture Association's online platform that profiles below-the-line filmmakers and TV creators. Through in-depth interviews and coverage, we shine a spotlight on all the individuals who are indispensable to the entertainment industry and create the films and series we love.